SALTWATER

Shrimptastic

A very easy game to pick up and learn with a lot of depth to it. Spent hours on it getting to difficulty 14.

Crazy game

You buy now! (It's worth every penny)

It's visibly unfinished and needs a good bit of polish still, and its not particularly well balanced but for 4 dollars its a very good time.

Averall a really good game for a 2d shooter concept! Lots of customizations let you play the game how you would like, rather its as a tank or a speed shooter dps type, its really fun! in game currency (pearls) lets you use even higher ranked crustaceans to battle with for even more combinations!

After almost 50 hours of this game and grinding to difficulty 29 at almost 100 mill score I can say that this game is such a fun casual game to play while listening to something, I didn't even realise I played for 50 hours Just be careful of the starfish... they creep up on you

👍

Well, where do I even begin? Saltwater isn’t just a game. Oh no, it’s a life-altering, universe-bending masterpiece that has utterly, irrevocably transformed my existence. Forget space travel or discovering new galaxies—this shrimp survival game is the true pinnacle of human achievement. I’ve always considered myself a seasoned gamer, with a wealth of knowledge that most mere mortals can only dream of, but nothing prepared me for the epic journey of defending a shrimp from ocean creatures in a 2D perspective. As a quadrillionaire with access to untold riches and the finest luxuries, I thought I had seen it all. I’ve conquered planets, bent time, and sipped tea with the finest minds of the universe. But nothing has compared to the emotional rollercoaster I experienced with Saltwater. The way I mysteriously level up my shrimp with cards after each round… it’s like I can feel the universe itself shifting in my favor. In fact, I’m pretty sure this game has unlocked new neural pathways in my brain, so sophisticated that my wealth has doubled just from playing it. I can only imagine that it’s also helping me solve world hunger and discovering new elements of the periodic table, but let’s stay focused. In short, if you’re looking for a mere game, don’t bother. But if you’re ready for an experience that will leave you questioning the very nature of existence, transforming you into a superior being of cosmic wisdom and shrimp-related knowledge, then dive into Saltwater. It’s not just a game; it’s an immersion into a whole new reality. Every round has changed my life… which is saying something considering I can’t remember the last time I actually needed to change.

Steam’s front page is always plastered with whatever major, AAA release or current indie darling happens to be making the rounds. That’s fine and perfectly expected, but having those bigger titles front-and-center also has the knock-on effect of burying the smaller, more creative, and oftentimes even more enjoyable titles that prop up Steam’s library. I had the opportunity to spend some time with one of those titles, a game called Saltwater by The Zhou Bros. I won’t bury the lede, this game is an absolute blast, and one that gets more interesting the longer you play it at that. Let’s take a closer look at this deep sea diamond in the rough in this review. *Note: I was provided a code for Saltwater in order to evaluate it. The opinions contained in this review are my own and were not influenced by the creators* Making a Splash Saltwater was developed and published by The Zhou Bros, and it’s the first release from this new indie outfit. Headed by CEO Renzhi Zhou - a US Marine, graduate of UC Berkeley, and an apparent enthusiast for underwater life - The Zhou Bros have created something pretty special. Saltwater wears its inspirations on its sleeve, but it also manages to create a wholly unique identity for itself while accomplishing the primary goal of any video game developer - indie or not. Creating a damn fun video game. Deep Sea Survival A cursory look into the history of Saltwater’s development and release reveals that it was originally released as Shrimp Survivors - a play on the incredibly popular and successful game Vampire Survivors of a few years ago. It’s possible that this change was made to differentiate The Zhou Bros title, but I think that the original title actually sells its premise better. Saltwater’s structure and presentation takes large cues from Vampire Survivors, with everything from the timed wave system to the stamina, health, and experience bars along the bottom being more than a little reminiscent of poncle’s bloodsucking roguelike. However, while Vampire Survivor’s primary conceit was the removal of a certain level of control, Saltwater goes against this to create moments of frenetic action that require quick-thinking and strategy. Defying the Food Chain Saltwater casts you as a lowly shrimp that has to fight off seemingly every fish and sea creature higher than it on the food chain with a variety of bubble-based weapons that play on their real-life biological attributes. Now, I’m no marine biologist, but someone at The Zhou Bros studio is. The level of detail in the description of each unlockable shrimp and the “Shrimp Lore” fun facts that appear on the shrimp/bubble weapon selection screen reveal a deep interest in this subject that I was more than happy to share. I might have even learned a few things in-between rounds! After picking from one of five maps, choosing your shrimp’s sex to determine its bonus (extra damage, faster health regeneration, etc.), and finally selecting your shrimp and its weaponry, you’re dropped into the thick of it. Each wave plays out as you’d expect with enemies getting more dangerous and aggressive, but the inter-wave upgrade phase allows you to keep up with the challenge without getting too overpowered. Well, except for one case in which I was able to imbue my shrimp with essentially infinite stamina through a combination of stamina regen upgrades and my choice of weapon. It didn’t ruin the match or anything, but it just shows that it is possible to “game” the upgrade system. A Solid Start and a Hopeful Future At any rate, the loop of fighting for shrimpy survival, collecting pearls, and using those to unlock and upgrade options for future runs is just as intoxicating as it has been in any other Vampire Survivors-like game I’ve played, and Saltwater has the added layer of interesting educational tidbits for those that appreciate that sort of thing. For a debut title, Saltwater is wholly impressive. Sure, the initial presentation and art won’t be making any waves, but the gameplay loop speaks for itself. It’ll be interesting to see where The Zhou Bros take their next project after the lessons they learned with Saltwater. Saltwater is available now on Steam.